Reklews presents Red Tape Free Mixtape

Some days you just need your brain to be pounded with rediculously complicated, dark grimy lyrics over classic boom bap beats. No, don't start digging in your early 90's NY crates; The new Reklews presents Red Tape joint got that shit for you in buckets. Dark Star joins Antiheroes and over a beat that is just insane. (Disclaimer Vocalswords takes no responsibilities for spinal or neck injuries inflicted when rocking recommendatons)Liverpool's Bang On comes with some heat; I'd heard of this guy a while ago, think he had a CD on HHC which was pretty nice but this is stepped up a level into darkness, liking it!

Just Drink sees COTD fam linking cross continents with Aussie stalwart Brad Strutt, the syllables come slick and fast...if you drink as much as these guys recommend you may not be able to concentrate on this, but could probably stumble around a dance floor quite contendedly to it! Darkstar shines on his solo track Playtime is over...a rugged east coast sounding flow the emcee from Schenectady, New York has also got an LP in the pipeline so watch out for news on that.
Bevy talking sounded a bit too slow for my liking when I first heard it, but Hok Tu Down and Tony Broke sound pretty fiery over it, and some of the multisyllables drop work nicely after checkin a few times...'Oppertunity Relishin' and other nice couplets abound, and the Bill Hicks sketch at the end is always good to hear. Sonny Jim wreaks havoc on 'Nothing on me'...shit this kid gets better and better, good to see him getting the props he deserves on Sarah Love and all over; shouts to Eat Good fam. King Grubb and & Bill Shakes rip shop over a beat with a tasty fat bass vibe running althrough it on Cotton Mouth, whilst Teknical Developments rounds off the selection with a 101 in rhyming skills. Go get this now here

Diversity of Hip hop and RIP Derek B

First up RIP to Derek B, a pioneer in the UK rap scene who has sadly passed at the age of 44, a definite loss to the game Derek made history repping UK as the third rapper to grace stage of Top of the Pops! I've got a copy of his classic 'Bad Young Brother' in the crates and hopefully will spin it if I manage to get the next VS podcast on the go.

Recently I have been enjoying a variety of new ish recently, all of which shows the diversity of the hip hop artform. Videos below but first be sure to check the my man Vice's most recent Basement Sessions Podcast, featuring a great article on the Brick City Boutique (wicked hip hop market/night) and also a little interview with yours truely. http://basementsessions.podomatic.com Go check it, some great tunes also! Anyways....

Genesis Elijah has long been bubbling around the scene, I've been loving his bars for time... his rugged and gritty flow belies a sense of justice and struggle for equality that underpins the body of his work. Enjoy this new video

Next up, King Grubb has stepped it up a notch with the first big budget video from the Blah Records camp...check King Grubb - Ritalin Adventures, produced by Lee Scott
Taken from C.O.T.D - Brick Pelican (The Greatest Mystery of All)
Bootleg style... Shot on location in Oswaldtwistle...

Last but by no means least is the big homie Scholarman's new video, another ill slice of boombap...the video is a of nice parody/story intriguing type, apparently the first one of a 2 part set so stay tuned folks!

What the hell is a Brick Pelican?

Having a hideous Mezca hangover in a strange Mexican hostel seems the appropriate time to get around to reviewing this little gem. Its been playing randomly on my MP3 for a while now, but this album is well worth a good sit down and listen as its bloody good. Those familiar with COTD fam (Macarbe Brothers are Lee Scott and Monster Under the Bed) will already be prepared, but if not you need to make sure you leave any sense of morality at the door as concepts, language and imagry are course to say the least. Having said that the skill evidenced on the mic and the board seem to fully justify everything.

A wickedly bizarre Muppets sampling intro just about gets you ready for the roulette wheel of fortune, a gamblers tale of woe laced with a great Biggie sample intertwined with our heroes blaggin betting tips from cretinous drunks. Critical Mass Hysteria moves into more authentic dope hip hop masterly treading the line between boom bap space cadet rap and genuine homegrown UK slice of niceness from the dirty drug addled brain side of life. Moron Tick had me grinning at the lesson in proper pronounciation and the hook with "f##k superman and batmans a b!tch" is quality. This is the Run DMC adidas endorsement equivelent. On crack. Phoneys Step Off brings more braggadocious goodness, dark and angry but still good stuff.

Bizzy Bodies bemoans cops wanting to shift me for a half spliff, laced up shoe size bigger than his IQ size...this track gives no benefit of doubt but then tricking plod into getting blazed with the lads and them filming it does make them seem a bit rediculous (in the world of the Brick Pelican anyways) Some Cold Shit comes heavy with claims to being raw come with boasts of drinking Capri Sun without a straw...now thats real! Loads of quality lines on a nicely downtempo but wickedly addictive beat, and the album has great production throughout. Great Grand is a nice concept track following the life of grizzly OAPs tying bandanas to respirators, pimping grannies, throwing bombs on bowling greens and loads more baddass gangsta ish. The finale Men who stare at Goats has a wicked piano laced track you can nod to all day, abuse the booze and refuse to use intelligence sets it off and somehow feels like a confessional even through standard brutality of lathargic, when I make your barnet part from your neck...everyones offended but dont give a f##k. Now this is the sort of stuff that needs a rewind. Go get the damn thing here. Anyone who knows what a Brick Pelican is please let me know!

Mr Wrong, true filth pedaller

Depraved, disgusting, sick...descriptions most people might would'nt be happy to have directed towards them. Mr Wrong (aka Lee Scott) and his gang (the likes of Children of the Damned and Antiheroes) I'm sure would lap up such tags and then urinate on them. With this release you need to forget any sense of deceny and just submit yourself to an ear battering that, through the grime, expletives and nastyness showcases a huge amount of warped talent and humour. Despite the themes of shouting at Bizzies, nicking sweets from corners, and abusing as many people as possible the ideas do rub shoulders with the personification of paranoia, giving Mr Wrong a more rounded and philisopical character than initial impressions suggest. Extremelly dark and not for the faint hearted, this is proper dope, unabashed and uncensored hip hop! Apparently these are selling out like hot cakes so get over to the myspace and order your copy soon.